40,000 killed in Syria since revolt's outbreak: Watchdog

Debris litters the street in the al-Arqub neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo following fighting between Syrian government soldiers and rebel forces on September 23, 2012. At least 40,000 people have been killed in violence across Syria since the outbreak of an anti-regime revolt in March last year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday. -- PHOTO: AFP

BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 40,000 people have been killed in violence across Syria since the outbreak of an anti-regime revolt in March last year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday.

Civilians represented the vast majority of the 40,129 people killed, said the Observatory, which includes non-military people who have taken up arms against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in that figure.

The Observatory did not include thousands of people who have gone missing in the conflict, some thought to be in detention and others slain. It also excluded thousands of dead pro-regime militiamen.